Whipstock



J. BECK June 5, 1951 WHIPSTOCK 2 Sheets-Sheet l Filed Nov. 3, 1947 l //M -l lill.. Il.

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J. S. BECK WHIPSTOCK June 5, 1951 4 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Nov. 3, 1947 A Trams/Y1 Patented June 5, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT DFFICE WHIPSTOCK J ulius S. Beck, Los Angeles, Calif.

Application November 3, 1947, Serial No. 783,784

6 Claims. 1 p This invention relates to oil well drilling tools, and more particularly to what is known in the art as a whip-stock.

The chief detriments of an ordinary whipstock in an oil well are caused by the use of cement. Cement, besides constituting a great expense, offers no reasonable degree of success, due to its lack of adhesion to steel. Under dril1- ing operations the constant rotary contact of the bit cutters against the body of the whip-stock results in the whip-stock being turned from its Xed position and/or slipping into the new hole. Furthermore, the cement-contaminated mud necessitates the expense of cleaning the hole and the price of new mud.

The general object of my invention is to provide a whip-stock which will overcome the disadvantages above stated. A

A more particular object is to provide a whipn stock which may be set and xed without cement in a well hole for directing the drill in any de sired direction.

Another object is to provide a whipstock by means of which a wall sample of the formation through which the well is drilled may be obtained, while the whip-stock is being set in the well.

A further object is to provide a whip-stock which may be operated in a well casing to cut a sliver or a window in the casing through which into the well formation to prevent the whipstock from turning and/or slipping in the well into a new hole leading from the well.

Other objects and advantages will appear hereinafter as this specification progresses.

The invention is illustrated in the annexed drawings, which form a part of this specication and in which Fig. l is a Vertical longitudinal section of my invention shown in position in a well casing for driving dogs through the casing into the earth surrounding the casing for preventing the whipstock from turning and for guiding the cutting tool to cut a sliver or window in the casing through which the drill may be guided to penetrate into the surrounding earth to cut a new hole.

Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal section of my invention shown in position with the whip-stoclr set upon a broken tool in the well casing and the dogs driven through said casing into the sur- (Cl. Z55- 1.6)

2 rounding earth to prevent the whip-stock from turning, and with the cutting tool being guided to cut a sliver or window in the casing through which the drill may be guided to penetrate the surrounding earth to drill a new hole.

Fig. 3 is a vertical longitudinal section like Fig. 2, showing the whip-stock set upon a broken tool in a well casing and the dogs driven'through the casing into the surrounding earth to prevent turning of the whip-stock, and the cutting tool and hammer, and their operating string removed from the casing after a window has been cut through the casing, and showing a drill string extending downwardly in the casing and out through said window into the surrounding earth, in the act of drilling a new hole from the casing above the whip-stock and the broken tool in the lower part of the casing.

Fig. 4 is a horizontal section of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a horizontal section taken on line 5-5 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 6 is a horizontal section taken on line 6--6 of Fig. 1.

Fig. '7 is a horizontal section taken on line l-l' of Fig. 3.

Fig. 8 is a horizontal section taken on line 8-8 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 9 is an enlarged longitudinal section of my invention.

Fig. l0 is an enlarged elevation of my invention viewed at right angles to Fig. 9.

Fig. 11 is an enlarged longitudinal section of my invention showing the hammer in the act of driving the dogs through the whip-stock.

Fig. 12 is a horizontal section taken on line l2-l2 of Fig. 9.

Fig. 13 is a horizontal section taken on line l3-l3 of Fig. 9.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, in which corresponding parts are designated by the same reference numerals in all of the figures, my invention includes generally a whip-stock body member I, a whip-stock sub-member 2, a conventional frangible connection 3 and a frangible connection 4 for connecting said submember to said body member, a plurality of earth-engaging dogs 5, an anvil 6 on said sub, and a hammer 'l connected to the lower end of a whip-stock string of tubing 8.

The lower end portion 9 of said whip-stock body member I is cylindrical and of such diameter as to slidably t in a well hole or well casing Iii, and from the upper end of said lower end portion 9 at one side thereof the whip-stock taken on line 4 4 3 member is inclined upwardly toward its opposite side to its upper end II, forming an inclined guiding surface I2 which is concaved transversely. The whip-stock body member I is provided With a plurality of radial slots I3 extending downwardly and curving outwardly from its inner inclined surface I2 to its opposite outer cylindrical surface Ill, through which slots I3 extend said earth-engaging dogs 5.

The whip-stock sub 2 is of cylindrical tubular form of such diameter as to slide Within the well casing Ill, or within an uncased Well hole. The upper end of said sub 2 is closed by a head I5 from which a threaded pin I6 projects upwardly,

and said head and pin are provided with a duct I'I extending axially therethrough., for the pur-V pose hereinafter more fully described. The lower portion of one side of the tubular wall I8 of the sub 2 is cut away, as at I9, and the lower end of said Wall at the upper end of said cutaway portion is formedY with a concaved trans" verse `serrated cuttingedge 25, while the other side of said tubular wall I8 opposite said cut away portion I9, below said cutting edge 20 is inclined inwardly, as `at 2I to t and slidably engage the inner inclined concaved surface .I2 of the whip-stock body I. In said other side of said tubular Wall I8 is provided a slot 22 extending longitudinally of the sub 2 to receive the frangible connection 3, and immediately below the lower endV of said slot on the inner side of the inclined portion 2| of the tubular'sub wall .Ivis formed a pocket 23 by means of a narrow wall 24 extending upwardly from the inner side of `said inclined wallportion 2i and transversely thereof.

The conventional frangible `connection 3 comprises a pairof screws 25 which are threaded in and extend through the upper end of Ythe Whipstock body I andthe sub wall I8 for holding the whip-stock and the sub together against .relative movement until'the whip-stock is loweredfin a well and is set in the well.

The `frangible connection d Ycomprises a screw 26 threaded lat its outer end in the upper end 'of the whip-stock body I and extending through the slot 2l, in the tubular wall I8 of thei sub 2, between-the screws-25 of the frangible connection 3, there being a head 2l on the innerendA of said screw which engages'the inner side of the tubular wall i8 at opposite sides of said-slotl for holding the lowerinclined portion 2i of said tubular wall I'B in :sliding engagement with the inner inclined surface I2 of the Whip-stock bodyI. Y

A threaded boxf is screwed on the threaded pin-I 6 on the upper end of the whip-stock sub 2, and the upper end of said box forms the anvil G. From the upper end of said `box extends a connecting plunger shaft 29 which is formed vwith a head 30 on its upperend, and said box, shaft and head are formed with a duct 3| extending therethrough and communicating Vat its lowerend with the upper `end of the pin duct Il. The connecting shaft 2S slidably extends throughv an laxial bore 32. in the hammer 1, which hammer is in the form of a .head closing the lower end of a tubular hammer sub 33, the upper end of which-sub is threaded at 3d on the lower end of the whipstock string of tubing vg.

The operation of my invention is as follows:

YWhen a drill bit 35 breaks of a drill string in the bottom of a well, my whip-stock is assembled, as YShown in Figs. 9, l0, l2 and v13 of the drawings, and the pin I on the upper end of the sub 2 is threaded into the box .28: on the lowerfend of the connecting plunger shaft 29 depending from the hammer 'I on the lower end of the whip-stock string 8, with the head 39 on the upper end of said shaft resting upon the upper end of said hammer 'I within the sub 33, thus supporting the Whip-stock on the lower end or the Whip-stock string 8, as shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings. With the whip-stock assembled as above described the whip-stock body I is secured at its upper end. in fixed relation to the whip-stock sub 2 by the screw-s 25 of the frangible connection 3, with the screw 26 of the frangible connection 4 extending through the lower end of the slot 22 in'said sub 2. My whip-stock is then lowered in a well by means of the whip-stock string 8 as shown in IFig. l, until the lower end of the whipstock body I rests upon the broken bit 35 in the bottom of the well and arrests downward movementofV the whip-stock in the well, while the string B is allowed to -continue its downward movement until the hammer 'I strikes the anvil 6 a blow and drives down the sub 2 in the whipstock body I, shearing off the inner end portions of the screws 25 `and allowing said sub 2 to be driven down by said hammer l striking said anvil i5, until the lower end 36 of the lower portion 2| of the tubular wall I8 of the sub 2, strik-V ing the upper ends of the dogs 5 drives said dogs down through the slots I3 in the-whip-stock body I until the lower end portions'of'said dogs are driven into the earth surrounding the well to hold the whip-stock body I against turning in the well by constant rotary contact of the cutters of a drill bit, as shown in Fig. 2 of the drawing, during which downward driving movement of vthesub -2 the screw 26 passes upwardly through the sub slot 22 and holds thevlower-portion 2l of the tubular wall I8 of the sub in sliding contact with the inclined surface I2 of the whip-stock body I and lower driving end 36 ofsaid lower portion 2l of said sub wall I8 in engagement with the upper ends of the dogs 5, until said dogs are driven into the earth by said end 35 of said portion of said sub wall, as aforesaid, at which time the upper end of the slot 221engages and shears oil" the inner end of the screw 25; which end drops into the pocket 23, and thereby disconnects the sub-2v" from the whip-stock body I. By moving the whip-stock string -8 up and down the hammer l may be caused to strike the anvil 6 a series of blows to drive the sub 2 down furthen'whereby said sub will be guided to one side by its engagement with the inclined surface I2 of the whipstock body I, so that the cutting edge 26 of the sub 2 will engage and cut a window .3'Iin the icasing 9 and penetrate theearth and start new hole 3B in the earth'at said side of the `well above the broken bit 35 in thebottom of the well, as illustrated in Fig-s. 2 and`3 of the drawings. The string -8 and sub 2 are then lifted out of the Well and a drill string 39 is then lowered in the well,

and, guided by its engagement with the inclined surface I2 of the whip-stock body I, enters the new hole 38, started by the sub 2 as aforesaid'to drill the new hole in the earth down past the broken tool 35 in the bottom of the well. In starting the new hole by driving the sub 2 out ofthe well to one side thereof, as aforesaid, the sub lls up with the earth from the new hole, which earth is carried up by said sub when it is lifted out of the well, and said earth shows the operator ofr my invention the formation of the earth in which the new hole isto be drilled.

I claim:

1. A )whip-stock including `a-whip-stock body;

a hollow sub open and formed at its lower end with a cutting edge, connecting means for connecting said sub to said whip-stock body, securing means for said whip-stock body, means for driving said sub down, when said whip-stock body is set in a well, for releasing said connecting means from said sub and for operating said securing means to secure said Whip-stock body against turning in the well, and means for guiding said sub during its downward movement.

2. A whip-stock including a whip-stock body, dogs slidably fitted in said whip-stock body, a sub formed with a driving end, a rangible connection for slidably connecting said sub to said whip-stock body with the driving end of said sub adjacent the upper inner ends of said dogs. an anvil on said sub, a hammer, a tool string on which said hammer is secured, and means for slidably connecting said sub to said tool string to enable said hammer to strike said anvil and drive down said sub so that its driving end will drive said dogs into the earth surrounding a well, in which the whip-stock body is set, and to shear said frangible connection when said dogs are so driven.

3. A whip-stock as characterized by claim 2 in which the frangible connection comprises a screw threaded in the whip-stock body and ex tending through a longitudinal slot provided in the wall of said sub, with the head of said screw slidably engaging the inner side of the sub wall, the upper end of said slot being arranged to engage and shear off said screw when the dogs are driven into the earth surrounding the well.

4. A whip-stock as characterized by claim 1 6 which window the sub may pass to penetrate the earth surrounding the well casing and receve a sample of said earth.

5. A whip-stock as disclosed including a Whipstoek' body, dogs slidable in said body, a sub positioned with its lower end engaging the upper end of said dogs, and means for driving said sub to cause its lower end to drive said dogs into the earth surrounding the well, when the whipstock body is set in the well.

6. A whip-stock including a whip-stock body, a sub, a pair of screws threaded into said body and said sub for holding said body and said sub in xed relation to each other, said sub being provided with a longitudinal slot therein, between said pair of screws, a screw extended through said slot and threaded in said body, securing means :for said whip-stock body, means for driving down said sub for shearing said pair of screws, and driving said securing means into the earth, in which the well and the whip-stock are located, to cause said securing means to prevent turning of said whip-stock body in the well, until the upper end of said slot strikes said screw, extending through said slot, and shears said screw.

JULIUS S. BECK.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,502,428 Getty July 22, 1924 2,227,347 Johnson Dec, 31, 1924 2,105,722 Barrett et al Jan. 1B, 1938 2,170,284 Eastman Aug. 22, 1939 2,209,627 Miller July 30, 1940 2,357,330 Hyer Sept. 5, 1944 

